Promoting Conservation Behaviors by Leveraging Optimistic and Pessimistic Messages and Emotions

Abstract

Meeting the challenge of the global biodiversity crisis requires evidence-driven communication strategies to engage public and political audiences in conservation. This study used a real-world conservation campaign to test how messages framed as pessimistic and optimistic, emphasizing species losses or gains, affected emotional response and behavioral intent, including willingness to donate and adopt specific conservation behaviors. We administered a national, web-based survey to a random sample of U.S. adults (n = 1,998). Respondents exposed to pessimistically-framed messages were significantly more willing to donate than those exposed to optimistically-framed messages, and emotions mediated effects. Intention to engage in behaviors was greatest when a respondent’s emotions aligned with the valence of the frame they received, such as when they experienced negative emotions in response to pessimistic frames or positive emotions in response to optimistic frames. These findings contribute to the growing body of evidence guiding the strategic use of communications to promote conservation.

Keywords:

• Communication
• conservation
• emotions
• framing
• messaging
• pessimistic

Acknowledgments

We appreciate helpful insights provided by K. McComas, B. Lewenstein, S. Allred, D. Balog-Way, and M. Thomas, and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for their funding support.